• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
In a bid to curb the spread of African Swine Fever, the Bago City government will establish border checkpoints, starting next week, according to Mayor Nicholas Yulo.
Yulo said the checkpoints will be set up on March 4 in Barangays of Taloc and Tabunan, along its borders with Bacolod City, which already opened its borders to the entry of live hogs, pork and its related products.
Bacolod City has been identified as a red zone for ASF, based on the classification of the Department of Agriculture.
Yulo said setting up of checkpoints are in compliance with executive order of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson mandating the banning on the entry of pork and pork products from Bacolod City, Negros Oriental, islands of Panay, Bantayan, Camotes, Guimaras, Cebu province, Luzon, Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, and countries affected by ASF as may be detected by DA.
The mayor said the checkpoints will be manned by city government employees on a daily basis.
Murcia and Talisay City also have borders with Bacolod City but it was not determined yet if they will also establish similar ASF checkpoints, to prevent the entry of hogs and pork products from Bacolod City.
Yulo said that personnel manning the checkpoints are mandated to flag down vehicles that have live hogs and pork products in plain view.
He, however, said that Bago can accept pork and its by-products from areas that are free from ASF, or those classified as “green areas.”
Bago City was among the local government units in central Negros hit by hog cholera.*
